


Not All Ends Are Permanent

by afteriwake



Series: Lingering Winter [11]
Category: Bleach
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-10-16
Updated: 2012-10-16
Packaged: 2017-11-16 11:19:00
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 3,115
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/538868
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/afteriwake/pseuds/afteriwake
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>When Hisagi gets promoted they try to end their relationship, but a complication arises.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

He had known there would be at least one person who may be upset with his relationship to Matsumoto, and that was part of the reason they had been keeping it quiet. But rumors had spread, with only Hitsugaya knowing the truth, and Hisagi wasn’t surprised to see Kira waiting for them one evening. They hadn’t noticed him until they rounded the corner, and because they thought they’d been alone they were holding hands, and he could see in Kira’s face that he knew the rumors were true. Matsumoto went to say something to him, but he turned and walked away without a word. 

“We should have told him,” she said with a sigh once they were in his room. “He’s our friend.”

“If he’s figured it out everyone else will have too,” he said. “There’s no point in keeping it a secret anymore.”

“I know.”

He opened his mouth to say more, but there was a knock at his door. Confused, he opened it up to see a messenger there. “Shūhei Hisagi, your presence is requested with the Captains of the Gotei 13 in one hour.”

Hisagi nodded slowly. “All right.” The messenger went away, and he shut the door to look at Matsumoto. “This can only really mean one thing.”

“You’re about to become a Captain,” she said, a small smile on her face. “We knew this might happen.”

He went over to her and looked at her. “If I become Captain today…”

“Then it would be unseemly for you to be with a Lieutenant,” she said. “It would be a conflict of interest. Hadn’t you mentioned all that before? Hadn’t my captain said that?”

He looked down. “Yes.”

“Then perhaps…perhaps we should end this,” she said in a voice just barely above a whisper. “Go back to how things were.”

He shut his eyes. “Perhaps that might be best,” he said in a voice just as quiet.

She reached over to him and lifted his face up to look at her. She caressed his cheek once to get him to open his eyes. When he did, she had a sad smile on her face. “I’ve enjoyed my time with you,” she said. “But…we should just be friends now.” With that, she let her hand drop slowly and she moved around him to let herself out of his room, leaving him alone. Her heart was breaking but, she knew, this was for the best.

\--

News that Hisagi had been promoted to Captain of the 9th squad spread quickly. Only Hitsugaya took the news with a sense of dread. He had figured out Hisagi and Matsumoto’s relationship almost from the start six months prior. They had indeed done a very good job keeping things quiet, but when it was just Matsumoto and her Captain he had noticed distinct personality changes in her. It didn’t help that he had gone to see her one evening and found her with him, sitting on a rooftop with her head on his shoulder and his arm around her. They were too close to simply be friends, and when he brought it up the next day she admitted everything. This news, though, told him that things would be different again.

“I’ve done all the paperwork,” she said in a dull tone of voice, and Hitsugaya’s fears were confirmed: they had, indeed, ended their relationship. He had very much gotten to like the more responsible Matsumoto that had emerged when she was in this relationship. She drank less sake, she stopped teasing him about her breasts all the time, and she did her work. He didn’t realize how used to that he had gotten until just this moment.

“That’s fine,” he said with a nod. “If there’s anything you’d like to talk about, Rangiku, I am ready to listen.” That was another thing he had appreciated; she had talked to him about things, and in turn had listened to him talk about the things he felt in the aftermath of the war, the things he did not feel like sharing with Hinamori. Matsumoto had helped him work through the immense guilt he felt over his actions, and because of this their bond was strengthened. When it got to the point that she called him Toshiro and he didn’t mind, he knew that the bond was deep.

“No,” she said, sitting down on the couch. “I’m not ready to talk about it yet.”

He nodded. “When you are…”

“You’re the only one I have left, Toshiro,” she said with a slightly bitter laugh. “Kira won’t talk to me, I’m not ready to face Shūhei and so you’re it.” She sighed. “It’s been two days and I already miss him a lot.”

“I can see that,” Hitsugaya said.

She shut her eyes for a moment, and then shook her head, opening them again. “Enough about that. Tell me about your last visit with Hinamori.”

He grinned, just a little. “She’s finally talking about Aizen again. Not in the way she had before, but in a way that makes me think she’s accepted that he was evil. It’s a sign of progress, according to Captain Unohana.”

“That is good news,” Matsumoto said, a genuine smile on her face. “She couldn’t have dealt with all this without you, you know.”

“I know,” he said with a nod.

“Any news about a new Captain for her squad?” she asked.

Hitsugaya shook his head. “No one seems to be a good candidate,” he replied. “They’ve pulled together and are doing quite well without a Captain, though. It’s the 3rd Division that everyone is worried about.”

“Because of Kira,” she said with a sigh.

He nodded. “They will most likely get a Captain before 5th squad. Kira is a good leader, but not good enough to be Captain, not yet.”

“Shūhei is a good leader,” Matsumoto said quietly. “That’s why he became Captain.”

“Yes,” he replied.

She was quiet for a few moments. “If you’ll excuse me, I’d like to go rest.”

He nodded again. “I will see you tomorrow, then.”

She nodded and headed out the door. When she was gone, he bowed his head slightly. Yes, things would be different now, and he wasn’t sure he liked the direction things were going in.


	2. Chapter 2

He had been jealous. Kira realized this now, and he felt guilty. He had been jealous of them, of the time they were spending together, and when he saw them holding hands it all welled up to the surface. That was why he had walked away; he didn’t want to face them. He still cared about both of them, and he didn’t want to say anything to permanently damage their friendship. But now, they weren’t in a relationship anymore, and he was wondering how much of that was his fault.

When he had stopped spending as much time with Matsumoto and Hisagi, he had started to feel more lonely than ever. When Isane had approached him, offering him her time if he needed to talk, he was surprised. But he took up her offer anyway, and she was fast on her way to becoming one of his closest friends.

She was pouring their tea when he finally spoke. “They seem so miserable.” She nodded, finishing her task and sitting at her table across from him. When they talked, there was never sake. There was always tea. Now that he thought about it, he hadn’t had a drop of sake in four months, and he felt healthier for it. He had grown to like the blend of tea that Isane drank, and he spent more time drinking that than anything else these days.

“Yes, Captain Hisagi does not seem to be enjoying his new role as Captain very much,” she replied. “But it isn’t your fault, Kira. Rumor has it that they thought it was inappropriate for a Captain and a Lieutenant to have a relationship.”

“But still, I see them together and then the next day he’s Captain, they’re apart and they’re miserable? If he truly cared about her, why didn’t he stay with her?”

Isane shrugged ever so slightly. “We won’t know unless someone asks him.” She took a sip of her tea. “It’s been two weeks. Have you thought about talking to either of them yet?”

“I’ve thought about it, but I feel uncomfortable.” He said with a sigh.

She reached over and put a hand over his. “You really should talk to them. If no one else, talk to Lieutenant Matsumoto. She might welcome being able to talk to an old friend.”

Kira looked down at her hand and she snatched it away. He noticed that as time had gone by she’d found small ways to comfort him, but even as her confidence grew she still was nervous about a few things, and touching him was one of them. “I will. Later.”

“Good,” she said with a smile.

“You are a good friend, Isane,” he said, gifting her with a smile as well. He found that, while he still didn’t smile very much, he smiled more around her, and it was nice.

“I try my best to be,” she said, blushing slightly. Words of praise still seemed to affect her this way, and he had to admit it was nice to see it. Most women he knew took a compliment with no sign that it affected them. It showed on Isane’s face that she was pleased, and that made him want to compliment her more.

He found himself in a strange position. He had been jealous, and at first he thought he might be jealous of their relationship, but in the last two weeks he realized he was more jealous of the fact that they took up so much of each other’s time. He missed his friends. But Isane had been filling that void more and more, especially these last two weeks, and he wondered if that meant something more significant. But for now, he thought to himself, he would enjoy Isane’s company and tomorrow try to make amends with Matsumoto.

\--

Kira knocked on her door that evening and waited. This was going to be hard, he thought to himself. Isane had told him that if it didn’t go well he was welcome to come visit her for tea, no matter how late it was, and he appreciated it. He was trying to be optimistic about this, but it wasn’t really in his nature to do so.

After a moment the door opened and Matsumoto looked at him with a surprised look on her face. “Izuru,” she said, and then a warm smile followed. “Come in.” He relaxed and entered her room. Things had not changed very much in the long time it had been since he had been there, and he was glad for that. She motioned to her table and he sat down, watching her. “Would you like something to drink?”

“Tea,” he said.

She raised an eyebrow. “Hanging out with Isane Kotetsu has really rubbed off on you,” she said with a grin.

“It has,” he said with a nod.

“I can make you some tea,” she said with a nod, pausing for a moment as a strange look crossed her face before continuing.

“Rangiku, are you okay?” he asked.

She waved her hand. “It’s nothing. I just feel a little nauseated, that’s all.” She took another step and then covered her mouth and running towards a bucket she had by the table. She threw up into it, panting slightly when she was done.

Kira was up in an instant, taking the bucket from her and holding it. “Do you still need this?”

She shook her head slightly. “No, I think I’m okay.” She straightened up and wiped her mouth with the back of her hand.

“I’m going to go get Isane,” he said, beginning to head to the door.

“No!” Matsumoto said, her eyes wide. 

“Why?” he asked.

“I already know what’s wrong. I talked to Unohana this morning,” she said with a sigh. “I’m pregnant. I just don’t want anyone to know.” She sat back down and folded her arms on the table before resting her head on them. “I don’t know what to do.”

“Have you told Shūhei yet?” Kira asked, sitting down next to her.

“No,” she said without lifting her head up. “And I will, I just need to figure a few things out first. I know he’ll be by my side for this, and he’ll do the right thing, but…what if this isn’t what he wants? And what about the fact that he’s a Captain and I’m still a Lieutenant?” She lifted up her head. “I’m sorry to drop this on you. I haven’t even asked why you came to visit me tonight.”

“I wanted to apologize,” he said. “But that doesn’t seem very important right now.”

“It is important, though,” she said, reaching over for his hand and giving it a squeeze. “I missed spending time with you.”

He smiled slightly, and then frowned. “You need to tell him tonight.”

“I know, I know,” she said she said with a sigh. “I just don’t know what to say!”

“The truth,” Kira said with a nod. “Do you want me to go get him?”

She looked at him for a moment, and then nodded slowly. “Yes, I think that would be a good idea.”

“Then I will go get him,” Kira said, standing up and heading out the door. “Do you want me to stay while you talk to him?”

She thought for a moment, then shook her head. “I think this needs to be a private conversation.”

“I understand.” And with that, he headed out the door, leaving her to her thoughts.


	3. Chapter 3

Hisagi didn’t want to open the door. He hadn’t wanted to do much of anything other than bury himself in a pile of sake bottles and drink them all, but he couldn’t do that, not with his new responsibilities. The new duties were the same as the ones he’d already been doing so long, so there wasn’t even extra work to take his mind off things.

Whoever was at the door knocked again and he opened it, surprised to see Kira there. “Izuru,” he said.

Kira nodded. “You need to come with me.”

He looked at his friend. “Why?”

“Rangiku needs you.”

Hisagi started with that, then quickly joined Kira outside, shutting his door behind him. “Where is she?”

“In her room,” Kira replied as they began to move in that direction. “Also, I wanted to apologize.”

“I should be apologizing to you,” Hisagi said. “We should have told you. You’re our friend.”

“I can see why you didn’t,” Kira said. “And I think with what you’re about to hear it’s best if we forget about everything.”

Fear gripped him. “Is she hurt? Izuru, why does she need me?”

He glanced over at him. “I’m not allowed to say. It’s not my place. But she’s not harmed in any way. She just…needs you.”

The knot in his stomach eased, and the two men picked up their pace, continuing the rest of the way in silence. When they got to Matsumoto’s room, Kira looked at Hisagi. “I’ll talk to you later. She wants to talk to you alone.”

Hisagi nodded. “Later, then.” When Kira had left, he knocked on Matsumoto’s door. He waited a moment, and then she opened it up. Immediately he saw that she looked wan and was not all right. “Are you okay?”

“I just threw up again,” she said with a sigh, moving out of his way.

“Izuru said you weren’t hurt,” he said with a frown.

Matsumoto looked at him and then smiled. “I’m not hurt, I promise.”

“Then what’s wrong?”

“I’m pregnant.” Hisagi’s eyes widened, and Matsumoto realized she should have told him that after he was sitting down based on the look on his face. She took his arm and steered him to her couch, pushing him down onto it gently before sitting next to him. “Are you okay?”

“You’re…pregnant?” he said quietly, turning to look at her.

She nodded. “Captain Unohana confirmed it this morning.”

“My child?” he said.

She scowled at him. “If you think it’s anyone else’s I will hurt you,” she said in a dangerous tone of voice.

He blinked and then realized how what he said had come out. “I didn’t mean that. I meant…I’m going to be a father?”

She nodded slowly. “Yes.”

He turned from her and looked straight ahead for a moment before a huge grin began to form on his face. “This is good news.”

She smiled at that, breathing a sigh of relief. “It causes some complications, though,” she said.

“I don’t care,” he replied, turning to look at her. “I shouldn’t have cared earlier. It doesn’t matter that I’m a Captain and you’re a Lieutenant. It just doesn’t matter.”

“What does matter, Shūhei?” she asked softly, reaching up to touch his face.

“You matter. And…this baby matters,” he replied.

“You know this means we’ll have to get married,” she replied.

“Would that be such a bad thing?” he said.

“No, I don’t think it would be a bad thing at all,” she said. “I’ve been miserable these last two weeks. And then with getting sick every few hours yesterday and today, I knew. Even before I talked to Captain Unohana I knew.”

“Do you want this?” he asked.

She nodded. “Yes, I do.”

“Good,” he said, reaching over for her and pulling her into a kiss. When they were done she settled in next to him. “I missed you.”

“That’s good to know,” she said. Then she sat bolt upright and pushed herself away from the couch, hurrying back towards her bucket. She heaved a few times but nothing came up. “I think this may become something I grow to hate.”

Hisagi came over to her and pulled her into a hug, rubbing her back. “We’ll just have to get some more buckets. And you’ll have to start wearing your hair pulled back.”

She laughed and put her arms around his neck, keeping him close. “I’m glad you’re not angry or anything like that.”

“I’m happy,” he said, rubbing her back. “Tomorrow we can work everything out. Tonight…tonight I just want to keep you close.”

She nodded just a little before pulling away and offering him her hand, in a way that was very reminiscent of their first night together. She led him back to her bed again, only this time they simply laid down next to each other, thankful for the twist of fate that allowed them to be together again.


End file.
